


Hatsumode

by Rahenna



Series: Ace of Hearts [32]
Category: Gakuen Heaven 2 ~Double Scramble~
Genre: Age Difference, Fortune Telling, Japanese Culture, M/M, New Years, Secret Relationship, Teacher-Student Relationship, hatsumode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 06:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8738242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahenna/pseuds/Rahenna
Summary: Yuki (and his parents) bump into Professor Sakaki during the New Year's shrine visit. :3





	

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers for Gakuen Heaven 2. If you intend to play the game yourself, reading this may ruin your fun a bit. :)
> 
> Originally posted here:  
> [Adults Always Lie](http://heaven.neo-romance.net/lies/)
> 
> If you want to know more about the Gakuen Heaven series, please visit my fansite for game translations and summaries:  
> [welcome to Heaven](http://heaven.neo-romance.net/)

**Monday, January 1, 2018**

"I knew we should have waited until tomorrow or the day after," Dad groaned, looking out over the sea of kimono-clad people clustered around the shrine's front gate. "This is even worse than last year."

"Now, now, dear," Mom scolded him, "you remember what happened last year, don't you? Everything went much faster than expected because they'd just finished the construction of the new addition to the temple. This year should be even better. And besides, you should enjoy the tradition. There's no need to rush through it and go back home right away."

Dad made a face, but he knew better than to complain about wanting to spend his day off watching prerecorded American basketball games. "Well, let's just hope that Yuki's luck kicks in at some point. Yuki, you don't want to spend all day at the shrine, do you?"

"Mm, well, I was kind of hoping I'd see some of my friends here..."

"Are you nuts? You'll never meet anyone you know in this crowd!" Dad waved at the mass of people surrounding us, the exaggerated gesture at odds with the subdued formal look of his black montsuki. "It's hard enough making sure the three of us stay together..."

"Crowds aren't so bad," Mom countered, pressing closer to me and Dad. "I'd be freezing to death if there weren't tons of people around."

"Hehe, Mom, you could just wear regular clothes..."

"What, with you and your dad dressed up so formally like that?" She motioned toward the two of us, a matched set in black formal kimonos, striped hakama, and haori jackets. "It would be embarrassing if I wasn't dressed up too. And besides, we don't have many opportunities to look so fancy together. It's kind of fun."

Honestly, Mom looked really beautiful in her brilliant blue kimono with white crane pattern, the red and gold obi around her waist laced with metallic threads that glinted in the winter sunlight. With her hair done up in an elaborate style and decorated with colorful kanzashi, and natural-looking makeup applied with skill even though she didn't have time to do it often, she was like a princess. Dad definitely noticed too; he kept staring at her when he thought no one was watching, the soft smile on his lips making me feel vaguely embarrassed.

_Hehe, but it's cute, seeing Mom and Dad all dressed up and staring at each other._ My smile faded as another, more selfish thought drifted to the front of my mind. _I wish I could see the professor like that. He said he would go today, and he'd wear the traditional outfit. I saw it in the closet..._

"Hey, earth to Yuki!" Mom waved her hand in front of my face. "Don't get all zoned out already. We need you to think of a way to hurry this along."

"Ahaha, Mom, that's kind of putting a lot of pressure on me... you know my luck doesn't work that way..." I scratched at my head. "How about we play a game to pass the time?"

"Let me guess," Dad sighed, "word chain with foods again?"

"Hehe, how did you know?"

Mom hugged my shoulders from behind. "Because you're so predictable!"

In the end, my luck didn't help us get to the front of the crowd any faster than normal, but maybe it did help a bit with the weather. The sun broke through the clouds, and though the winter sunlight was pretty weak, its warmth was captured by our dark clothing and hair. By the time we reached the main part of the shrine and were ready to pick our fortunes, I was beginning to sweat a little.

Dad dropped a coin into the slot and picked up the metal canister, glancing at me. "You sure you don't want to shake this for me?"

"Dad, it won't be _your_ fortune if I do it for you. Anyway," I glanced at the crowd behind me, "hurry up, there's a ton of people waiting, they'll get mad if you keep stalling!"

Dad, Mom, and I quickly took turns shaking out a stick and pulling our fortunes from the indicated drawers, then scurried out of the way to read them. "Mm, let's see... alright! A huge blessing!"

"Of course you'd get that one." Dad sighed, shoulders slumping. "Meanwhile, mine's bad luck again this year. At least it's only a _small_ curse this time around. Looks like I'll be losing some friends and not having my desires granted this year."

"Stop whining, dear," Mom swatted at him with her own paper. "You don't even believe in this stuff, so why are you worrying about it? Look, I got the worst one possible! My love life is going to fall apart, I won't recover from any illnesses, and I'll lose something important to me." She rolled her eyes and began folding the paper into a narrow strip.

While Mom went to go tie her fortune to the already crowded wire fence, Dad tried to peek at mine. "What does yours say, Yuki? You going to find a giant pot of gold and save your poor unlucky parents from a life of poverty and sadness?"

"Hold on, I didn't finish reading it yet," I murmured, turning the paper away. Dad pouted, not used to being denied; I always let him read my fortune along with me, but with everything that had happened last year, I felt shy about letting someone else see it. My eyes scanned the paper, drawn to the summary of what to expect in the coming year.

_Wishes: Have faith, and your wishes will come true._  
_Awaited Person: The person you've been waiting for will come to you._  
_Studies: If you put in a good effort, you will excel in your studies._  
_Romance: Be humble and modest, and your romance will blossom._

"Romance, huh? I don't remember you getting a romance fortune before..." Mom's voice was right at my ear, and I jumped.

"Waaagh! Mom, don't sneak up on me like that!" I folded the paper in half before she could comment on the rest of it, but it was too late.

"Hmm, I do hope you'll continue doing well in school. You've really improved, Yuki. I guess Bell Liberty really is an incredible school." She poked my nose, cold fingertip leaving the impression of chill on the tip. "So you're too grown up now to let Mom and Dad read your fortune? Well, I guess that's good too. You can't be our baby forever."

My cheeks turned red. "Mooom, stop embarrassing me!"

"Haha, embarrassing you is your mom's favorite thing to do. She's been complaining about how you never visit on the weekends. I bet she's going through withdrawals!" Dad folded up his fortune too, winking at me before going to tie his onto the wire.

"Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far," Mom folded her arms over her chest. "But it's true, Yuki, you don't come home very often. In fact, this is only the second time you've been home since starting high school, and the first was a long time ago! I know you're busy as the student council president, but we miss seeing your smiling face."

My blush deepened; of course my parents assumed that I was caught up in school activities and hanging out with my friends. They didn't suspect the truth. "Uh, um..."

Dad returned just in time to hear Mom's lament and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Yuki, you should be spending time with your friends. Though maybe you could bring them over to visit once in a while, like that time you brought Tomo-kun with you."

_Tomo... I wonder if you'd even come with me now. You'd just say you're too busy, right?_

"Yuki, is something wrong?" Dad peered at my face, frowning.

I shook my head, pushing the worry from my mind. "No, it's nothing! Anyway, you're right! I'm sure Kuya-san would enjoy visiting, and Sonoda-san too, I bet he'd be interested in learning more about baking! Did I ever tell you about the time he did a special dessert campaign at the cafeteria? I'm sure he'd love to do something like that with bread..."

We began making our way back to the temple entrance, chatting along the way. As we walked, I folded my fortune up into a small square and tucked it safely inside my kimono so I could put it in my wallet when I got home. Maybe I'd show it to the professor later...

_Wait... speaking of the professor, isn't that him right there?!_

A tall, lean figure was walking in the near distance, back to us, but I'd recognize that perfect posture and confident stride anywhere. I broke away from my parents and rushed ahead.

"Professor Sakaki! It's me, Asahina!"

The tall man paused and turned toward my voice, and the rest of my words caught in my throat as my eyes took in his athletic form, black kimono and jacket stark against the pale landscape. The traditional clothing wasn't exactly form-fitting or especially flattering, but the professor was somehow even more attractive than usual. Maybe because it was formal wear that was only used once or twice a year, or maybe because it made him look more serious and elegant than the usual dress shirt and tie.

It took all the effort I could muster to keep from freezing in place, stunned into inaction by the vision of perfection before me. _You look amazing._ I could barely hear my thoughts over the rough pounding of my heart.

And then he smiled. I rushed up to him, drawn in by the familiar gentle warmth.

~~~

"Professor Sakaki! It's me, Asahina!"

I paused midstep. _It can't be._ But when I turned around, there he was, staring at me from several meters away with a stunned look on his expressive face. I felt my own wide-eyed look of surprise softening to a gentle smile as he stared at me. Asahina must have taken that as a signal that it was safe to approach, grinning wildly as he ran up to me, haori flapping behind him. 

"Asahina? How on earth did you pick me out of this massive crowd?"

"Hehe, you're always writing on the board in class, so I'd recognize your back anywhere! And..."

His voice faded, eyes going round again as he looked me up and down, hands clasped tightly together. I knew that look, wide-eyed and with a blush high on his pale cheeks, lips slightly parted as he appraised me without making any effort to pretend he wasn't checking me out.

_Don't do that in a public place, Asahina..._

Before I could scold him, he spoke up. "Wow, you look really nice, Professor! You're always dressed up for class but this is even better! I'm so happy I found you here!"

"Asahina, please." I made a face, pretending not to understand the implications of his words. "It's nice enough, considering how long it took to put this stupid thing on."

"It's not stupid! It's so fancy and elegant, it's really special! And anyway, I'm wearing one too!" Asahina patted his chest proudly, then leaned a little closer, peering at the embroidered crest on my shoulder. It was nothing special, just a silhouette of a small tree with slender branches covered with leaves and flowers, plus thin strips of paper hanging from the lowest branches. I'd bet that half of the families with the name Sakaki were using the same one.

However, Asahina seemed plenty interested. "Hmm, so that's your family crest..."

I snorted. "Don't get all excited, Asahina, it's just a symbol of a tree."

His protest was cut off by a woman's shout, nearly lost in the noise of the crowd. "Yuki! Where are you?"

Asahina raised one arm and turned around, waving. "I'm right here, Mom!"

"Mom...?" My amused smile faded from my lips in an instant as I caught sight of two approaching figures, a man and a woman. A quick glance supplied my brain with initial impressions: the man was relatively tall and dressed in the expected montsuki, and the petite woman at his side wore a blue kimono with a beautiful pattern of white cranes. Standard enough for a new year's shrine visit.

Their faces were what truly caught my attention. The man's face was similar to Asahina's, small nose dwarfed by a big smile as he waved back at Asahina - no, his son. But if Asahina's father had a similar face, his mother's features were a feminine copy of his, wide eyes set in a round face, a tiny upturned nose, and full pink lips curved into an easy smile. The resemblance was made almost uncomfortable by the way her short hair framed her face, the messy locks partially tamed by gel or hairspray, though some had managed to escape her attempts at control, sticking out at odd angles. Including a very distinctive, very familiar cowlick at the top of her head.

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear myself hiss, "Asahina, what do you think you're doing?"

He turned back toward me, expression making it clear that he didn't see any problem with the situation. "Huh? I'm introducing you to my parents, of course!"

I actually felt my heart skip a beat. "Are you _insane?!_ "

"Huh?" Asahina tilted his head. His puzzled expression would have been cute if I hadn't been in the middle of having a heart attack. "Wait, do you think I'm going to...?"

His words faded to a nervous laugh as his father came up beside him. "Yuki, who's this?" 

Asahina aimed a warm smile at me for a moment, probably in some vain attempt to reassure me that he was _not_ about to just blurt out our secret, then turned back to his parents. "Dad, Mom, this is Professor Sakaki--"

_Please don't say 'my boyfriend,'_ my fevered mind supplied.

"--my math teacher and the assistant director of Bell Liberty! Remember, I said I was getting lots of tutoring? The professor's been helping me with all my subjects."

My shoulders slumped in relief.

"Oh, so this is the long-suffering teacher who's been kind enough to help you?" Asahina's father smiled at me, the expression uncannily similar to his son's usual grin. "You have no idea how grateful we are. Yuki's grades have never been terrible, but they're certainly not the _best_. I couldn't believe he got accepted to a great school like Bell Liberty. To be getting tutoring from someone as important as the assistant director... I hope it's not too much trouble for you, Professor Sakaki. If he ever starts slacking off--"

"Daaad!" Asahina interrupted, face red. "I'm not slacking off!"

I may not have been mentally prepared to deal with Asahina's parents in particular, but I was very familiar with the ramblings of concerned parents. I stifled a quiet chuckle, silently thanking the universe for the shift in the conversation's tone. "Don't worry, Mr. Asahina, I don't permit any slacking off, either in class or during tutoring time."

I glanced at Asahina, who made a face and looked away. _Heh, that's what you get for dragging me into this mess..._

Asahina's father shook his head with a smile. "That's too formal, just call me Kenta."

My stomach sank again; the last thing I wanted was to be on a first name basis with Asahina's parents, but it was rude to protest a direct request. I nodded. "Very well, Kenta-san."

I could feel Asahina's eyes boring into the side of my head, probably shocked by my use of the honorific, but I ignored him. _You're crazy if you think I'm going to be informal with your parents. Anything I can do to create a good impression now may help prevent my murder in the future._

Asahina's father folded his arms over his chest with a sigh. I couldn't help noticing that those arms were rather bulky, even when hidden by his kimono, perhaps a natural consequence of hauling around heavy ingredients all day. "That's still a bit too formal, but I'll accept that! Honestly, I'm glad we bumped into each other here. We just saw Yuki's grades for the trimester, and I was thinking that it would be nice to thank the teacher who's been helping him. Do you think he'll be able to move up to the harder classes next year?"

Again, relief lightened my heart. I could talk about work all day without feeling awkward. "If Asahina continues to put in a good effort, then it's quite likely that he'll qualify for the next level of math, history, and literature next year. Science would be a bit of a stretch, and unfortunately, there's not much hope for English."

Asahina's father frowned. "Yuki! I thought you said you were doing well in English!"

I decided to have mercy on Asahina and spoke up on his behalf. "I apologize for giving you the wrong impression. Asahina is working very hard in to improve in all subjects, but everyone has natural strengths, and I encourage students to focus on developing those strengths. To be honest, English isn't a very useful subject for the average person. I think it's wise for Asahina to focus on other subjects and his role as student council president. After all, the student council president at Bell Liberty is a very important figure, one that has real influence over policy. I consider that practical experience for leadership positions later in life."

"Oh, that's true... Yuki did mention that."

I nodded. "Asahina is already well respected by the other students, and he's always available to help a friend in need." I glanced at him with a soft smile. "I'm proud of how he's grown."

Asahina's cheeks darkened. "Uh, um..."

"You seem to know Yuki pretty well," his mother mused. It was almost surprising to hear her speak; she'd been silent the entire time, and I had the impression that she had a mild personality and was used to being steamrolled by her outgoing husband and son. I also got the feeling that she was more introspective and observant than them. 

I swallowed back the knot in my throat and replied, "Yes, that's true. The director, assistant director, and student council president work together to develop policies and make decisions about school management. The system is unique to Bell Liberty, so I realize that it seems strange."

"Ah, that's right." She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Plus the additional tutoring time, that makes sense... Thanks for all that, by the way. It's good to see Yuki so motivated about school."

_I'm pretty sure Asahina's motivations are far less pure than you'd like them to be..._

"You're very welcome," I murmured, trying to ignore the sweat gathering at the back of my neck. When was this torturous conversation going to end?

Asahina's father picked up on my tension, his emotional radar just as finely tuned as his son's. "Oh, Professor, weren't you on your way to get your fortune? I feel like we're holding you up."

I considered making a polite protest, but my mind seized upon the possibility of escape and refused to let go. "Well, that's true, I haven't pulled my fortune yet. Would you mind if I excused myself? I was hoping to finish up here and get home to finish up some work this afternoon."

He nodded his agreement. "Not at all, I'd actually like to get home and relax a bit before getting back into the bakery work." He shot his wife a meaningful glance.

Asahina's mother sighed. "Right, right, dear. Come on, Yuki," she linked her arm with Asahina's, "let's not keep the professor waiting any longer. Free time is precious once you're an adult!"

"Very true," I agreed. "Then, please excuse me."

It took about half a minute of polite greetings and bowing before I could fully disengage from the Asahina family. After that, I hurried to melt into the anonymity of the crowd, allowing the flow of people to carry me deeper into the grounds until I found myself in line for a fortune. Of course, I didn't believe in old superstitions like that, but that was true of most people. Still, we went to test our luck at the beginning of each new year without fail, enjoying the tradition established early on by our families. And thus, the cycle continued.

As I waited in the long but fast-moving line, I turned over the unlikely meeting in my mind. Asahina had wanted to find me in the crowd, and that pure desire activated his luck. I'd seen it happen enough times that it wasn't surprising. This time, though, his luck might have extended to me as well, affording me the opportunity to meet his parents in a neutral setting. They seemed nice enough, friendly and open. 

Of course, that wasn't a true indication of how they would react upon learning that their underage son was involved with a teacher, and a male teacher at that. On a day like today, when everyone in the country was dreaming about the future years ahead, what were Asahina's parents thinking? The worries that Asahina had told me a few days ago, the self-imposed pressure to live up to the opportunities provided by BL School, had they originally come from his parents? And his earlier expectations, becoming his father's apprentice and taking over the bakery, had they discussed that, or was he simply assuming that his life would follow that path? I hadn't thought to ask.

_It's only natural for parents to have dreams and expectations for their children. God knows I've listened to enough of them begging for a better grade, trying to pressure me, making veiled threats, insisting that their precious child was 'too important' to be held back by 'something as useless as algebra class.' They were brattier than their kids, but at the core, there was always that desire to protect their child from failure - whatever the reason for that protection._

Asahina's parents, I was sure, would protect their precious only child with the ferocity of cornered wildcats. Any perceived threat to his perfect future - no doubt filled with success summoned by luck, and populated by a wife and children - would be destroyed.

The back of my neck prickled with sweat despite the cold.

_Don't think about that. It will be more than two years before you have to face that reality..._

Fortunately, my turn came soon after that grim thought. I placed my coin into the slot and picked up the canister with a silent wish that it would be at least somewhat lucky, providing an interesting distraction from my dark brooding. A few shakes later, and the stick popped out, indicating which drawer I should pull from. I grabbed the paper and hurried out of the way, joining the clump of visitors to one side who were all staring intently at their fortunes.

I raised one eyebrow at the large characters at the top of the sheet: _future blessings_. I couldn't remember the last time I'd pulled a fortune that wasn't filled with gloomy predictions of the future. The specific fortunes were vague nonsense that could apply to anyone, but a few stood out.

_Wishes: Your wishes will be realized when you learn to be flexible._  
_Travel: The opportunity to travel will come to you._  
_Marriage Proposal: A proposal will come at an unexpected time._  
_Childbirth: It is a mystery._

"Hmph, damn right it's a mystery," I muttered to myself, folding up the paper and tucking it into my sleeve. The only way a baby would appear in my future would be if one mysteriously popped up out of nowhere. It was all optimistic rubbish with no connection to reality, other than the fact that the fortunes were so vague that the words could be interpreted to fit any number of situations after they'd already occurred.

_I say that, and yet I'm keeping this silly paper..._

Asahina, I was sure, had received the best fortune. He would keep it safe along with all the other good luck charms he'd accumulated over the years, eagerly awaiting the day those predictions would come true. What sorts of things had been printed on his paper? Would he scour the fortunes from years past for hints about the future of our relationship?

_Is that even a question? Of course he will. He's just that sort of naive idiot._

I smiled despite the harsh thought. That innocent belief was one of many reasons why Asahina was so dear to me. We were completely opposite, yet drawn together, two poles of a magnet. Honestly, I couldn't wait for the day to be over so Asahina could hurry up and come home.

_Home...? Since when is that apartment considered home?_

The answers flashed across my mind in a series of images, brief snapshots of the moments I'd spent with Asahina. His blushing face as he sat down beside me on the couch that first night and asked for another kiss. The way his face crumpled into tears of happiness as I handed him his own copy of the apartment key. His bright smile when he woke, blinking sleepily, and realized that I was snuggled against the warmth of his bare skin. And, most recently, the relief in his eyes after I explained that he could do great things without forcing himself to take on a role of obvious greatness.

_I want to see you._

I hurried toward the temple exit, knowing that it would make no difference; Asahina wouldn't be returning until the next day, so all I was doing was rushing back to an empty apartment. But it wasn't completely void of his presence. He was there, not only in the physical objects he'd left scattered around, but in the memory of his smiles and the echoes of his voice. All I had to do was wait, and the future would come.

The paper in my sleeve brushed against my skin as I moved, a silent reminder of its presence.

~ end ~


End file.
